Adjustable foot-rest for chairs



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet-l.

J. HOGAN.

ADJUSTABLE FOOT BEST FOR CHAIRS. No'. 358,154. Patented Feb. 22, 1887.

(N9 Model 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J.- HOGAN ADJUSTABLE FOOT BEST FOR cums. No; 358,154. 7 Patented Feb.22, 188 7.

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1 being made adjustable to assume various po- I UNITED STATES PATENTFFICE.

, JOHN HOGAN, or sr. LoUIs, MISSOURI.

ADJUSTABLE FOOT-REST FOR CHAIRS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 358,154, dated February22, 1887.

Application filed November 20, 1885. Serial No. 183,454.

the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Adjustable Foot-Bests for Chairs, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to foot or leg rests for chairs, but specially tothose which are used in reclining-chairs, easy-chairs, and physi-; cianschairs; and my object is to provide anextensionframe for the foot or legrest, which latter folds on said extensiorrframe, the whole sitions, andfinally to be folded together and shoved, like a drawer, under thechair-seat, out

of sight when not in use.

My improvements consist in an extension and adjustable foot or leg restframe, the adjustable foot or leg rest itself, and in the constructionof detail parts, all of which will hereinafter be fully described andclaimed.

In order to give a clear, full, and exact description of theconstruction and operation of my improvements, and to enable others tofully understand the same, reference is had to. the accompanyingdrawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the skeleton orframe-work of my improved foot or leg rest without the chair and as itappears when folded together and not in use.' Fig. 2 is a like View ofthe same extended and unfolded, assuming one position. Fig. 3 is a frontView of the lower part of a chair, showing how it appears when the footor leg rest is attached, but not in use. Fig. 4 is a side view of aneasy-chair complete, with my foot or leg rest folded together and shovedunder the seat and not in use. Fig. 5 is a side view of the lower frontpart of an easy-chair, showing the first position of the foot or legrest after being drawn out from under the seat of the chair, the foot orleg rest proper being now with its cushion upside down. Fig. 6 isasimilar view of an easy-chair, showing the second position of the footor leg rest, the cushion now being right side up and standing outfartherfrom the chair. Fig. 7 is a similar view showing the foot or leg restproper tilted up on the frame. Fig. 8 is a similar view of an easychair,showing the foot or leg rest frame tilted (No model.)

up, the foot or leg rest properbeing down. Fig. 9 is a similar view ofan easy-chair, showing the combination of Figs. 7 and 8.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A represents a chair, at its legs, and a the seat.

Under the seat of the chair, and on the inside of the seat-frame, Isuspend two guides, B B, by means of hangers or brackets b, one comingat each corner of the chair. These guides B B are in the shape ofchannel-bars running parallel to and opposite each other from the frontto the back of the chair. At the rear end of each guide is formed asleeve, B, into which an extension-piece, B, engages for the purpose ofadapting the guides 13 B to various sizes of chairs.

I b is a thumb set-screw, whichclamps the piece 13 within the sleeveafter it is adjusted to the required length.

The shape and position of the extension oradjustable hanging guides, asjust described, are clearly shown in Fig. '1. Within these guidesB Bisplaced and moves a sliding frame, 0. (See Figs. 1 and 2.) This slidingframe slides in and out under the chair-seat, and is limited in itsforward'or outward movement by a pin, 0, placed in the rear at eachside, which comes against a similar pin, 0, at the forward end and ontop of each guide B, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

The'slide-frame G is open in .front for the reception of the foot or legrest frame D D, and has braces a at the rear corners to strengthen it,as well as to keep its sides or arms 0 parallel and firm. Between thesearms, at 0 in the front, is pivoted or hinged the section D of the footor leg rest frame. This frame is formed of the two sections'D and D,which together form an extension and folding foot or leg rest frame. Thesection D folds in and out of the section D by turning in the directionshown by arrows, Figs. 5 and 6, and is hinged on pivots d, provided atthe forward ends of the arms 01 of the section D.

d are slots formed in the arms d of the section D, and run diagonallydownwardly and rearwardly, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The pinsor pivots d of the section D just mentioned engage these diagonal slots01". The object of these slots is to cause the frame D to be drawnforward for disengagement from a looking device, hereinafter described,and to be automatically thrown back for engagement with said lockingdevice. When, now, the section D is turned in the direction indicated bythe arrows in Fig. 5 into the position shown in Figs. 2 and 6, the endsorextremities of the arms of the section I), which are notched andbeveled off at 01 come in contact with lugs d formed on the lower edgeof the arms at of the section D, (see Figs. 1 and 2,) the bevels causingthe said section D to slide forward and rise on the pins or pivots d ofthe section D through the diagonal slots 01 until the bevels clear thelugs, when the frame, on account ofits weight and the diagonal slots,slides backward, bringing the notch over the lug, thus preventing theframefrom tilting back or down. A brace, d", across the beveled ends ofthe frame D projects at both ends and abuts against the under edges ofthe arms of the section D, thereby preventing the section D from tiltingtoo far up, and thus forming the locking device, which holds the sectionD firm in this position. At the other end of the section D, or that endwhich is now in the front, is a brace, (1 running across from one arm tothe other and pivoted between them at (i as clearly shown in Fig. 2, soas to allow it to turn. To this brace is secured the leg or foot rest E.(See Fig. 2.)

e e are ratchet-bars pivoted or hinged with one end at e to the frame ofthe foot or leg rest, one on each side and opposite each other, (seeFig. 2,) and engage a cross rod or bar, a, which is placed between thearms of the section D, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, for bolding the footor leg rest in various desired positions.

c is a connecting bar uniting the two ratchetbars, so that they willwork alike and together. The ends of the connecting-bar e are curved, asshown in Figs. 1 and 2, and form fingerpieces 0, for taking hold of fordisengaging the ratchet-bars to lower the foot or leg rest.

The ratchet-bars e 6, when the foot-rest E is down, as shown in Figs. 5and 6, fold under the foot-rest and are out of sight.

In order to throw the leg-rest frame D D, with the leg'rest E, up indifferent stations, as shown in Fig.8, the former turns on the pivots cin the arms of the sliding frame 0, as before described.

F F are ratchet-bars secured to opposite ends of a crossrod, f, whichturns or hinges at f in the two arms of the sliding frame 0. (See Fig.2.) The ratchet-bars F F move alike and together and engage studs orpins f y, near the rear ends of the arms of the section D. As theleg-rest frame D D is brought up the rear or opposite end, with thestuds or pins f moves down, and the ratchet-bars F F, through theirweight, drop, engaging the pins f, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The lowerends of these ratchet-bars are provided with a knob 0r handle, f, whichextends out at the sides within reach, and by either or both the ratchetbars are raised out of engagement when desired to lower the frame D I).The pins or studs f which the ratchet-bars F F engage, as justdescribed, serve also as supports for the section D when folded into thesection D, as clearly seen in Fig. 1, the notches d of the arms atengaging with them. When the section D is thus folded, as justdescribed, the cushion of the foot-rest is reversed, or upside down, andto hold the foot-rest firm in this position its wood frame-work engagesa springeatch, d, on the brace-rod d. (See Fig. 2.)

When the parts are all folded together, as shown in Fig. 1, and pushedin under the chair-seat, out of the way and not in use, the chairappears in front view, as shown in Fig. 3, and a leaf, h, hinged infront, about two inches below the cross-piece a. of the chairseat frame,and when closed down, hides the mechanism from View, thus giving to thechair a neat and finished appearance. When desired to use the foot-rest,this leafh is turned up out of the way. (See Fig. 6.)

Having now fully described the construction of my improved foot or legrest parts,the operation of the same is as follows: Supposing the chairto be standing, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the foot-rest parts foldedunder the seat, and the leaf it down and closed, As a person now sits inthe'chair or stands before it he turns the leaf h up and takes hold ofthe footrest Eandpulls the same forwardand out from under the chairuntil the pins 0 engage the stop-pins 0, when the foot-rest appears asshown in Fig. 5, with the upholstery of same turned down. By now takinghold of the foot-rest at that end which is nearest the chair and liftingsame up and taking it forward (in the direction indicated by the arrows)the section D is raised and turned on the pivots d of the section D overand into the position shown in Fig. 6, the beveled ends d moving sameforward and up until the lug is passed, and the notched part snaps intoor runs back over said lug, as before described, to hold the section Dfrom turning back, and the brace d looking it from turning farther over.The operator may now bring up either the leg-rest into the positionshown in Figs. 2 and 7 or the legrest frame D D, as shown in Fig.8. Tobring up thelatter to any desired station, the operator takes hold atany part of same, raises it with the leg-rest, and the ratchet-bars F Fdrop and engage the studs orpinsf, as before described, and shown inFigs. 2, 8, and 9. To adjust the leg or foot rest, the same isdisengaged from the catch d" and raised or turned on the pivots d toassume various positions, as shown in Figs. 2, 7, and 9, theratchet-bars c dropping and engaging the cross-rod 0 as beforedescribed. (See Figs. 2, 7, and 9.) To return the parts to original or alower position, the operator takes hold of the leg or foot rest E withone hand, raising the ratchet-bars e by taking holdof eitherfinger-piece c with the other, disengaging them from the rod 6', and theleg-rest is lowered into position shown in Fig. 8, and by taking hold ofthe leg-rest frame D D and the handles of the ratchet-bars the latterare disengaged by being raised, and the former,with the foot-rest E, islowered into the position shown in Fig. 6; and, finally, the footrest isturned over into the position shown in Fig. 5 by taking hold of same atthe front, pulling same forward to unlock it from the notch d andlifting in the direction indicated by arrows, Fig. 6, and letting itdown to rest on the pins f", as shown in Fig. 1, when the same is readyto be pushed in under the chair, out of the way and the leaf h turneddown and the chair appears again as in Figs. 3 and 4.

NVhat I claim is 1. The frame D, hinged to aslide-frame,O, as

herein shown and described, to form a shortarm at the rear end of saidframe D, in combination with a slide-frame, 0, provided withratchet-bars F F, having a handle or knob,f each, the ratchet-bars F Fbeing secured to a rod, f, which latter is hinged between the two arms 0of the slide-frame for engaging pins f on the short arm of the frame D,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the slide-frame C,the adjustable folding andextension frame D D, and foot-rest proper, E, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

3. In a foot-rest frame, D D, the combination of the diagonal slots d,beveled and notched ends (F, and brace 01 of the section D with thelugs d and arms d of the section D, substantially as shown anddescribed, to form a locking device, for the purpose set forth.

' JOHN HOGAN.

\Vitnesses:

CHAS. F. MEIsNER, CHAS. E. METZ.

